Confessions of an Insomniac
by coffeecoffeecoffee83
Summary: A sleepless night in the Hollow takes an unexpected turn. Java Junkie. AU


**A/N: **I don't own it. Do you?

**Confessions of an Insomniac**

Lorelai Gilmore had never had trouble sleeping. For most of her life, the come-down she experienced from her coffee consumption had knocked her out completely exactly two hours after her last cup. For some reason, though, for the past week, she had lain awake for hours on end struggling towards slumber. She would close her eyes, bury her head into her pillow, and think sleepy thoughts, but two seconds later, the world was once again as vivid and in-focus as during the day. She had tried counting sheep, counting cups of coffee (not her best idea ever, as it just created a craving), and counting backwards from 100 like they make patients on hospital programs do when they're going under anesthetic. She had gone down the lavender road - a spray on her pillow, a salve to rub on her chest, a candle burning by her bed as she read In Style magazine. But still, 2am would come and go, bringing with it no sign of salvation.

It was Thursday night, and Lorelai was fed up. Sick of lying in bed, counting the cracks in her ceiling, she decided on a change of scenery - she needed to go for a walk. Maybe the exercise would wear her out. She threw a sweater on over her coffee cup pajamas, and tip-toed down the stairs, being careful not to stand on the fourth stair from the landing, which tended to creak at night. A pair of Sketchers in her hands, she peeked into Rory's room, checking that her 16-year-old daughter was sleeping soundly. Lorelai felt a strong pang of jealousy at how peacefully Rory was sleeping.

Once in the open air, she tied her shoes in place and set off towards the town square. Seemed as good a place as any for a middle of the night walk. She zigzagged down the street during the five minute walk, playing the car game which she and Rory used to enjoy when confronted with deserted streets. Walking down the middle of the street, she made sure to use her steering wheel correctly, and change gears whenever necessary. As she went to turn into Peach Street, she bobbed her left arm up and down as an indicator light. She knew that anyone who saw her would send her directly to the closest psychiatric facility, but she figured that this was Stars Hollow - the 24 hour Mini Mart had been closed for six hours - so the chances of anyone being around were slim to none.

As she turned onto the Square, she resumed more grown up walking, feeling slightly more exposed. She took in the sights of post-3am Stars Hollow. The fairy lights on the gazebo shone brightly, illuminating her way; the children's swings swung silently in the breeze; a stray dog investigated the garbage outside Al's Pancake World. She circled the square twice before sitting down on the steps of the gazebo. She breathed deeply, enjoying the crisp night air, in comparison to the stuffy air of her evil sleepless bedroom.

She was slowly tracing her finger along the slats of the stairs, when a tiny jingle rang out across the grass. Startled, she looked up to find she was no longer alone in her insomnia. Standing across the street was Luke, dressed in grey sweatpants and his ever-present green army jacket. As he approached her, she got a better look at him. Instead of the usual flannel poking out the top of his jacket, she saw a navy t-shirt, and figured that was what he had worn to bed. He also sported sneakers without socks - normally a disgusting combination, but he managed to pull it off.

"Hey," he half-waved at her as he approached.

"Hey back. What you doing out here? You're not a vampire or a werewolf, are you?"

"Only during the full moon," Luke smiled at her. "I got up to get a glass of water, and saw you out here. What's up?"

Lorelai sighed. "Apparently I've joined the Sleepless in Seattle movement. Sleep and I are having somewhat of a disagreement."

"Oh, that's crappy," he consoled, and sat down on the step beside her. "Want some company?"

"Well," she giggled, "since you're already sitting down, it'd be rude to say no now, wouldn't it?"

He looked at her sheepishly. "Oh, sorry. I can go." He moved as if to stand up, but Lorelai forced him back down, shaking her head.

"Don't be silly," she laughed. "I'd love your company. But shouldn't you be getting sleep yourself?"

Luke shrugged. "I'd only get another hour or so before I have to get up anyway."

Lorelai smiled shyly at him. "Okay... entertain me then. Dance for me, Burger Boy."

"Not happening in a million years."

"What if I did something for you in return?" Luke looked at her with a smirk on his face. "That was dirty, wasn't it?" she realized.

"Just a little," he grinned.

"In that case, I rescind my previous offer."

Luke's face fell, and Lorelai looked at him curiously. He seemed almost disappointed that he wasn't going to receive 'favors' from her. She shook her head firmly. Surely it was just her imagination playing tricks on her at this late hour.

"So, how's Rory liking her new school?" Luke asked.

Lorelai gave a little shrug. "She seems to be doing okay. She enjoys it, but she's having trouble catching up with the work, and she's never really had contact with the shallow world of the private school kid, so that can be hard. I know how that is, trust me. I was at private school for ten years, and it's all politics - not Rory's scene at all."

Luke gave a concerned look. "But she still wants to go there? It sounds horrible."

"It's not that bad. And anyway, this is her route to Harvard. It will all be worth it in the end."

"I guess."

Lorelai surveyed their surroundings once more. "It's so quiet at this time round here. Peaceful. Don't you just love it?"

She looked at him closely. "Well, since I get up at 4:45 every day, I guess I'm used to it. But yeah, it is nice out here. Company ain't bad either." He nudged her with his shoulder gently.

"I don't know," she teased. "It could maybe do with a bit of work. I mean, if Johnny Depp walked past right now, I'd ditch you in a second."

"Nice," he muttered. "This is how you treat the man who provides you with your beloved caffeine daily?"

Lorelai shrugged innocently. "I'm sure I can teach Johnny the intricacies of making the perfect Gilmore coffee." She thought for a second. "Luke, what's your secret ingredient?"

"I wouldn't tell you. You'd have it all over town by sun-up."

"Hey! I'm an excellent secret keeper."

"Yeah? Name one thing you've kept a secret."

"Nuh-uh! You can't trick me like that. If I told you, then I wouldn't be keeping it a secret anymore." She shivered.

Luke noticed instantly. "Hey, you cold?" he asked, wrapping his arm around her shoulders to keep her warm. "You want my jacket?"

"Nah, you keep the jacket. Your arm seems to be doing a pretty good job there." She relished the surprisingly comforting feeling of Luke's embrace.

"'Kay." He squeezed her tighter, warding off the fall chill.

"You, my friend, make an excellent blanket."

"Are you saying I'm a wet blanket?" Luke faked shock and offense.

Lorelai gave him a small smile. "Yes, Luke. That is exactly what I was saying." She grabbed his hand, pulling his arm further around her, and forcing him to shuffle closer to her on the step. "But did you ever consider that maybe I like my blankets wet?"

"I feel like there was a 'dirty' in there somewhere," Luke considered.

"Yeah, there kinda was, wasn't there? How did I miss that one?"

"Maybe it's the hypothermia from being surrounded by the wet blanket."

"Yeah, that must be it. I'm dying. There is no other excuse for missing a 'dirty'." Lorelai let out a yawn.

"Hey," Luke pointed out. "You're tired."

Lorelai chuckled. "You poor naive boy. You can't let the yawn fool you. It likes to get you all excited, and then continue to hold precious sleep hostage like it's Randall Weaver. The yawn cannot be trusted, my friend."

"Right." Luke raised his eyebrows at her. "What time do you need to be up?"

"I need to be at work by nine. But I'm used to the sleep deprivation now. It's been a week of only getting an hour or two a night, and I'm still my sparkling self. Don't you think I'm still sparkling?"

Luke chuckled. "Sparkling isn't exactly the word I would use. Insane, maybe. Crazy, definitely. Over the top, hell yeah."

"Yet you still love me," she giggled, before realizing what she had said.

Luke didn't reply, but his face tinged a slight shade of pink, only just visible in the fading moonlight.

Lorelai quickly changed the subject. "So what's up with your new cook?"

"Caesar? Well, couldn't handle it all myself, and wanted to have some time away from the grill. Thought hiring a second cook would be more flexible than just getting in another server. This way I can serve customers, or flip the burgers depending on what mood I'm in."

"He seems nice enough..."

"Yeah good kid. Eccentric, but that goes with the territory around here, I guess." He looked pointedly at her.

"And this means that you can spend more time out the front, fraternizing with your gorgeous customers." She fluttered her eyelashes over-dramatically.

"Yeah, that Miss Patty. She really gets me going. I wish I could look at her all day."

Lorelai giggled. "You know, she would be absolutely thrilled to hear that from you. I can let her know that you're interested, if you want."

"You do that, I'm cutting you off," he smirked, hitting her leg gently. Without thinking logically, he left his hand where it fell on her thigh. Neither said anything, but both were acutely aware of the position they were currently in. They both kept their attention on where his hand seemed to take on a life of its' own, and his fingers moved slowly across her pajama bottoms, tracing the outline of one of the coffee cups.

They simultaneously realized it had become very dark - the moon was no longer visible. They both teared their eyes away from Luke's pattern-making, looked around them, and saw the foreboding dark clouds brooding overhead.

Lorelai sighed. "Guess I should go home before the rain starts," she told Luke. It was at that instant that the heavens opened, drenching them immediately. It was mere seconds that they sat there in stunned silence, but it felt like hours before Luke grabbed her hand, pulling her in the direction of the diner.

As the door to the diner was pulled closed behind the two, they looked at each other, puffing. Lorelai burst out laughing at the absurdity of the situation. Luke, however, didn't seem to find anything funny. He stared at the woman in front of him - her hair slicked down into soft wet curls; her pajamas clinging to her body. He couldn't remember ever seeing a sight more beautiful. He felt his breathing become shallow, and his heartrate quicken considerably.

Lorelai's laughter stopped abruptly when she noticed the way he was looking at her - reminiscent of the way she herself looked at a piece of porterhouse steak. She took a deep breath as she recalled the way that he had caressed her leg only a minute earlier. In her new, stilled position she studied the man only feet from her with new eyes. He, who had until this night, been simply a really good friend, was now looking perfect to Lorelai. She tried to remember why she had never seriously considered Luke in any romantic view, and came up blank. Considering his attributes, she failed to think of a legitimate flaw in his character. He was caring, and loyal, and incredibly sexy, and she struggled to stop herself wondering what it would be like to kiss him.

Strange things happen at four in the morning. You do things you wouldn't normally do. Everything seems so much more intense in the darkness of night. In Lorelai's mind, it seemed normal - a no-brainer. She wanted to know what it would be like to kiss Luke Danes, so she did just that. She took the final step towards him so that they were only inches apart, and grabbed his wet coat. Being this close together, Lorelai looked up into the eyes staring down at her, and their intensity almost scared her away from her goal. She froze for a second, debating whether this really was such a good idea. Luke, however, took that second of hesitation, and made the decision for her. Like a magnet, he was drawn to her, and before Lorelai had a chance to stop him, he was kissing her.

It was over way too quickly, in Lorelai's opinion, and when Luke pulled away, their wet clothes sticking together for slightly longer than their bodies, she felt like she had lost a part of herself. It was the most intense kiss she had ever experienced.

"Oh my lord," she breathed.

Luke looked at her curiously, trying to determine whether that was a good 'oh my lord', or a bad 'oh my lord'. When she asked if she could try it again, he had his answer. This time, there was no hesitation, no fear. Both now knew that the other wanted it.

With Luke's arms around her, and his mouth on hers, Lorelai couldn't remember ever feeling this safe. When they came up for air, she ensured that his arms stayed right where they were.

"Now I really am being a wet blanket," Luke chuckled.

Lorelai just shook her head in amusement. "Don't care."

Luke held her tight, and they noticed how perfectly they seemed to fit together.

"Oh my God, Rory is going to freak when she finds out what I did tonight," Lorelai rambled nervously. "She will be so angry that all this was going on while she was asleep, missing all the action. Oh... I don't mean action. You know what I mean, right? Actually, there is no way that I would want Rory to see anything like this. She's so sweet and innocent, and I get the feeling that seeing her mother..."

Luke silenced her with a firm kiss. "Will you be quiet?" he said before showering a succession of kisses onto her lips. He led her to a chair, where he sat, and pulled her down onto his knee, his arms still wrapped firmly around her waist.

"Oh, Santa, I want a pony, and a Care Bear, and a big TV for my room, and a hamster..."

For the second time in five minutes, Luke was forced to use his new-found weapon against her constant talking. Lorelai didn't protest at all. She was more than willing to be mute for the rest of her life, if only she got to keep kissing Luke. His kisses were firm, but gentle at the same time. He was in control but simultaneously willing to submit to her will. He was soft and loving, yet feverish. He was an oxymoron within himself.

Under each other's spell, they lost track of time.

"This may be the most idiotic thing I will ever say in my life," Luke began, "but I think we should stop. I have to open this place, like, now."

Lorelai kissed along his jawline. "No you don't. You have to stay right here." She moved in his lap, and her hands found their way to the hemline of his t-shirt.

"Mmm," he groaned. "The only problem with that plan is that in about 45 minutes, Kirk is going to be knocking on that door, his face squished up against the window, demanding entrance, and I'm not so sure he'll accept a floorshow in lieu of coffee."

The mention of Kirk snapped Lorelai out of her Luke-daze, and back to the real world - a world where they both had real lives to get on with. She let out a heavy breath. "Yeah, I suppose I should get back home before Rory thinks I've been abducted by Max and Isabelle from 'Roswell'."

"Will you come in for breakfast? I can make double chocolate chip pancakes with whipped cream - on the house."

"Well doesn't that make me feel like a supporting character from Moulin Rogue? I'm worth slightly more than the price of pancakes, mister."

"How 'bout dinner as well?"

Lorelai grinned shyly. "Well, that might be getting slightly closer to the going rate.... I mean.... not that I.... I didn't mean...." she was suddenly flustered by her own insinuations.

"I know," he chuckled. "Now go home and get a couple of hours sleep. I'll see you later." He kissed her goodbye.

Lorelai stood, but Luke remained seated. "Are you not going to walk me to the door?" she pouted.

"Uh... no."

She frowned. "Why the hell not?"

"Umm.... I'm just going to need a few minutes."

Realization dawned on her. "Oh, right." She giggled like a schoolgirl. "I suggest a cold shower."

"Icy," he agreed, and watched her disappear into the fading night.

* * *

"Rory! Rory!" Lorelai shook her daughter awake frantically.

"Wimplestatismon," Rory groaned incoherently.

"Rory wake up. I have incredibly important, life-altering, news."

Rory wrenched her eyes open just enough to squint at her alarm clock. "At 5:12 in the morning?"

"Yip. I hope you're not mad. This is huge. Bigger than huge. It's like the half ton man in Chicago who needed a crane to get out of his house."

"Is this going to be some warped version of Taxicab Confessions?"

"Not that I know of. Do you have cameras in here?"

"No. Now tell me your news so I can go back to sleep."

"Okay. Are you ready for your world to be rocked?"

"Jeez, yes. My air guitar is at the ready."

"I made out with Luke." Rory made no sound. "Okay. Insert gasp here."

Rory looked curiously at her mother. "What? In a dream?"

"No. Just now. In the diner."

"At 5:13am? O...kay...."

Lorelai jumped under the covers, and cuddled up against Rory.

"Ew, Mom! Your pajamas are all wet!"

Lorelai waved her off. "Go back to sleep. I'll give you details in the morning."

Rory fell asleep almost instantly.

"I think I really like him, sweets," Lorelai whispered, before falling into the deepest sleep she had in weeks.


End file.
